> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.horse.fun/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quick Start

> Get started with horse.fun in minutes

## Prerequisites

Before you start playing, you'll need:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Solana Wallet" icon="wallet">
    A Solana-compatible wallet (Phantom, Solflare, etc.)
  </Card>

  <Card title="SOL Tokens" icon="coins">
    Some SOL for entries and transaction fees
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect Your Wallet">
    Visit [horse.fun](https://horse.fun) and click "Connect Wallet"

    Select your Solana wallet from the list and approve the connection.

    <Note>
      The protocol only requests permission to view your wallet address and approve transactions. It never has direct access to your private keys.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fund Your Wallet">
    Make sure you have SOL in your wallet for playing:

    * Minimum entry: 0.01 SOL
    * Recommended starting amount: 5-10 SOL
    * Don't forget to keep some SOL for transaction fees (\~0.000005 SOL per transaction)

    <Tip>
      You can purchase SOL on major exchanges like Coinbase, Binance, or Kraken, then transfer to your Solana wallet.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for a New Race">
    Races run every 2.5 minutes with two phases:

    * **Entry Phase**: 120 seconds (green indicator)
    * **Race in Progress**: 30 seconds (race animation)

    You can only submit entries during the entry phase.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Your Track">
    Each race uses one of four track types, selected randomly:

    | Track           | Profile              | Risk Level       |
    | --------------- | -------------------- | ---------------- |
    | Doubloon Downs  | Strong favorites     | Low risk         |
    | Stampede Canyon | Balanced competition | Medium risk      |
    | Synthwave Strip | Chaos - anyone wins  | High risk        |
    | Crown Meadows   | Dark horses          | Medium-high risk |

    The current track is displayed at the top of the entry interface.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Analyze Horse Probabilities">
    Each horse shows its winning probability for the current race.

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Doubloon Downs Example">
        ```
        Horse #1: 24% (strong favorite)
        Horse #2: 18%
        Horse #3: 13%
        ...
        Horse #9: 5% (longshot)
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Synthwave Strip Example">
        ```
        Horse #1: 14%
        Horse #2: 13%
        Horse #3: 12%
        ...
        Horse #9: 9%
        (More balanced - any horse can win!)
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>

    <Warning>
      Higher probability doesn't always mean better value! In pari-mutuel pools, if many people back a favorite, the payout per winning entry decreases.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit Your Entry">
    Select a horse and set your entry amount:

    1. Click on a horse to select it
    2. Type the amount of SOL you want to commit
    3. Review the estimated payout range
    4. Click "Enter Race" and approve the transaction in your wallet

    <Info>
      You can back multiple horses in the same race! Simply submit separate entries on different horses.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Watch the Race">
    Once the entry phase ends:

    1. The protocol requests randomness from Switchboard VRF
    2. The race animation begins (30 seconds)
    3. Winners are determined and displayed
    4. Winners can claim their payouts
  </Step>

  <Step title="Collect Your Winnings">
    If your horse finishes in the top 3 positions, you can claim:

    * **1st place**: Share of 60% prize pool
    * **2nd place**: Share of 20% prize pool
    * **3rd place**: Share of 10% prize pool

    Plus you earn **HORSE tokens** proportional to your entry volume!

    <Success>
      Winnings are available to claim through the interface after the race resolves.
    </Success>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check for Jackpots">
    After each race, check if you won a jackpot:

    * **Blazing Hoof** (normal): 1/125 chance — triggers \~4-5 times daily
    * **King's Run** (super): 1/12500 chance — triggers \~every 21.7 days

    Jackpot winnings are distributed only to players who backed the **winning horse** (1st place).
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Your First Entry Strategy

### Conservative Approach (Recommended for Beginners)

<Tip>
  Start with Doubloon Downs or Stampede Canyon tracks, back horses with higher probabilities (top 3-4 horses), and enter small amounts to learn the system.
</Tip>

**Example first entry:**

* Track: Doubloon Downs or Stampede Canyon
* Horse: Top 3 probability
* Amount: 0.5-1 SOL
* Expected outcome: Lower risk, moderate returns

### Balanced Approach

<Tip>
  Spread your entries across multiple horses to increase your chances of winning something while maintaining potential for higher returns.
</Tip>

**Example strategy:**

* Enter 0.3 SOL on a favorite (high probability)
* Enter 0.2 SOL on a mid-tier horse
* Enter 0.1 SOL on an underdog

This gives you multiple chances to win while managing risk.

### Aggressive Approach (Advanced)

<Warning>
  Higher risk, higher reward. Only recommended after understanding the pari-mutuel system and entry patterns.
</Warning>

**Strategy:**

* Focus on Synthwave Strip track (chaos)
* Back underdogs with lower probabilities
* Analyze pool distribution to find value entries

**Why this works:**

* If most entries go to favorites, underdogs offer far larger payouts
* Pari-mutuel payout ratios adjust based on entry volume
* Smart players can exploit imbalanced pools

***

## Understanding Payouts

Your actual payout depends on:

1. **Your entry amount**: How much SOL you committed
2. **Total pool for your horse**: How much everyone entered on that horse
3. **Your horse's finishing position**: 1st, 2nd, or 3rd
4. **Prize pool allocation**: 60% / 20% / 10% for positions

### Payout Formula

```
Your payout = (Your entry / Total entries on horse) * Prize pool for position
```

### Example

**Race Setup:**

* Total entry volume: 10,000 SOL
* 1st place prize pool: 60% of total = 6,000 SOL

**Your Entry:**

* You enter 100 SOL on Horse #3
* Total entries on Horse #3: 800 SOL
* Horse #3 wins!

**Your Payout:**

```
(100 / 800) * 6,000 = 750 SOL
Net gain = 750 - 100 = 650 SOL
```

<Card title="Learn More About Payouts" icon="calculator" href="/entries/pari-mutuel">
  Detailed payout calculations and examples
</Card>

***

## HORSE Tokens

Every race, you earn HORSE tokens based on your entry volume. Emission is volume-linked and capped per race:

```
Race emission E = min(c * total volume, cap)   // bootstrap: c = 0.5, cap = 25
Your HORSE tokens = E * (Your total entry / Total race volume)
```

### Example (bootstrap, c = 0.5)

If you enter 10 SOL in a race with 20 SOL total volume:

```
E = 0.5 × 20 = 10 HORSE
HORSE earned = 10 × (10 / 20) = 5 HORSE
```

Below the cap, this is simply `c × your entry` — during bootstrap, 0.5 HORSE per SOL committed.

### Why HORSE Tokens Matter

<Info>
  Staked HORSE multiplies your share of jackpot prizes! When you win a jackpot, your share scales with entry × (1 + λ × staked HORSE) — the entry is the ticket, the stake is the multiplier.
</Info>

The more you play and stake, the larger your jackpot shares become.

<Card title="Token Economy" icon="coins" href="/reward-token/tokenomics">
  Complete guide to HORSE token emission, burning, and utility
</Card>

***

## Tips for Success

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Understand Pari-Mutuel Dynamics" icon="chart-line">
    The payout depends on pool distribution, not just horse probabilities. A horse with 10% probability but only 2% of total entries can offer better value than a 20% probability horse with 30% of entries.

    **Pro tip:** Check the "Pool Distribution" view to see where other players are entering.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Don't Always Back Favorites" icon="star">
    On Doubloon Downs track, the favorite (24% probability) often attracts 40-50% of total entries, making the payout ratio unfavorable. Sometimes backing the 2nd or 3rd favorite offers better expected value.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Synthwave Strip Offers Value Opportunities" icon="shuffle">
    With high entropy and no clear favorite, Synthwave Strip track rewards skilled players who can identify value based on pool distribution rather than raw probabilities.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Accumulate and Stake HORSE Tokens" icon="coins">
    Consistent play builds your token balance; staking it increases your jackpot share when you eventually win. Long-term players have a significant advantage in jackpot distribution.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Manage Your Capital" icon="wallet">
    Choose an entry size you're comfortable with. Committing 1-5% of your balance per race sustains long-term play across many races.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Wait for the Right Track" icon="clock">
    If you prefer favorites, wait for Doubloon Downs. If you like chaos and value entries, wait for Synthwave Strip. You don't have to enter every race!
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Common Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I back multiple horses in one race?" icon="layer-group">
    Yes! You can submit separate entries on as many horses as you want in the same race. This is a valid strategy to increase your chances of winning.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if I back the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place horses?" icon="trophy">
    You receive payouts from all three prize pools! Your total winnings would be the sum of your 1st place payout + 2nd place payout + 3rd place payout.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How are race outcomes verified?" icon="shield-check">
    Every race uses Switchboard VRF for verifiable randomness. The random seed, its cryptographic proof, and all resulting calculations are stored on-chain and can be independently verified.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When do I get my winnings?" icon="clock">
    Winnings are available to claim immediately after the race resolves. You need to claim them through the interface - they are not automatically transferred.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if no one backs the winning horse?" icon="shuffle">
    This is extremely unlikely but theoretically possible. In such cases, the prize for that position is routed to the HORSE buyback — the protocol never keeps undistributed player funds; the value accrues back to token holders.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Card title="More Questions?" icon="circle-question" href="/resources/faq">
  Check out the complete FAQ
</Card>

***

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Understand Track Types" icon="road" href="/core-concepts/track-types">
    Learn the strategic differences between Doubloon Downs, Stampede Canyon, Synthwave Strip, and Crown Meadows tracks
  </Card>

  <Card title="Master Pari-Mutuel Pools" icon="graduation-cap" href="/entries/pari-mutuel">
    Deep dive into pool dynamics and optimal entry strategies
  </Card>

  <Card title="Jackpot System" icon="trophy" href="/jackpots/jackpots">
    Understand how jackpots accumulate and distribute
  </Card>

  <Card title="Token Economics" icon="coins" href="/reward-token/tokenomics">
    Learn how HORSE tokens work and why they matter
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

<Card title="Ready to play?" icon="flag-checkered" href="https://horse.fun">
  Launch the app and submit your first entry now!
</Card>